George MC

Nice looking wee map.Just had a very quick run through and ran out of time! I'd suggest you need to at least double the time in this. I play RT in small scenarios and tend to move slower - giving me time to scope out what's going on. I'm pretty sure though, given the mission, force size and map that even in WEGO the half hour scenario time will be inadequate. Hope this helps.

These are BFC's definitions of what the various experience factors mean. Like all these things you can argue the toss about should be what but that's how the game 'sees' these soft factors. So re your question I guess it would depend on what the unit was and the designer's interpretation of what that unit's experience would translate as? - Conscript: draftees with little training and no combat experience whatsoever. - Green: draftees with little training and some combat experience or reservists with some training and no combat experience. Green can also represent professional soldiers whose training is substandard in comparison to another force. - Regular: professional soldiers who went through extensive, quality training programs, but lack combat experience. Or, Regular can represent troops that received mediocre training that have a fair amount of combat experience. - Veteran: professional soldiers with standard military training and first hand combat experience. Alternatively, it can be professional soldiers who have trained to a slightly higher standard than Regulars, yet lack combat experience. - Crack: exceptional soldiers with more than the average training and plenty of combat experience. - Elite: the best of the best. Superb training, frequent combat experience, and generally all around tough guys.

There has never, in any version of CM, been an ambush command John.

Upon hearing Carius and Kerscher engaging the enemy tanks the rest of 2nd Company move up and onto some high ground to provide covering fire and prevent any enemy tanks making a break to the east.

Hi Heinrich Thanks Heinrich The LOS is very varied. The terrain is a gentle sloping valley (sloping down from east to west) with numerous folds and hollows. Kerscher IDs one of the Soviet tanks guarding the entrance to the village and engages. First shot, first kill. Whilst Kerscher engages the Soviet tanks Carius rolls into the village at full speed. Where he spots another Soviet tank and engages and destroys it.

Jings! Who'd have thought! The manual has a section on how EW affects stuff in CMBS page 11: Electronic Warfare Don't want modern radio and satellite communications nets for your scenario? Shut them down! A new scenario environmental setting that can be independently set for either side simulates electronic warfare attacks allows you to degrade or completely disable electronic communications, forcing even Information Age forces to communicate without the benefit of modern technology. Electronic warfare is represented in the game through a Data editor setting. (it is also available in the QB setup window). There are two settings: Blue Electronic Warfare Strength, and Red. The setting for one side will negatively affect the enemy systems. So for example, if Blue EW strength is set to Strong, then the Red player will feel the effects of Strong EW. These settings do NOT cancel each other out! So you could theoretically set both to Medium and both sides would have seriously degraded comms. Once in battle, you can see what the EW strength is for both sides by checking the Conditions panel. The available EW strengths are None, Light, Medium, and Strong. NONE: No EW assets are deployed against the enemy. Systems are unaffected. LIGHT: - Hand-held "walkie-talkie" radio communications are degraded. Manpack radios (as carried by "radio operator" soldiers), and vehicle-mounted radios are unaffected. - Hand-held satellite communications links via PDA devices are degraded. Vehiclemounted satellite stations such as FBCB2 and Constellation are unaffected. - UAV Support Mission delivery times are lengthened and UAV spotting ability is degraded due to electronic interference. MEDIUM: - Hand-held radio equipment no longer functions. 12 COMBAT MISSION - Manpack radio and vehicle-mounted radios still function but are degraded. - Hand-held satellite communications links via PDA devices no longer functions. - Vehicle-mounted satellite stations such as FBCB2 and Constellation are degraded. - Delivery times for Artillery, UAV, and Air Support Missions are much longer due to comms interference. - UAV spotting ability is further degraded. - Precision artillery missions of all types are not available. - The ability of on-map Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs) to detect and engage aircraft is degraded. STRONG: - All radio and satellite communications links are disabled. Units must maintain C3 links via verbal face-to-face communications or visual hand signals. - Artillery, Air Support, and UAV Support Missions now have an extreme delay, often over 20 minutes. UAV spotting ability is extremely degraded. - On-map SAM ability to detect and engage aircraft/UAVs is highly degraded.

Welcome aboard Mike The key combo is ALT T. IN CMBS/BN etc when playing a scenario, in the UI (bottom right) you'll see a button that says MENU, click on this - it'll take you to a series of options, click on HOTKEYS. That gives you the various combos for switching on/off some key game effects such as sound, smoke etc. The manual has full details about all of these and you can edit the key combos for movement/fire commands. Again full section detailing how you amend this to suit your own tastes (I'm not a hot used - I tend to do everything with the mouse and the in-game menu options). As far as I am aware there is no in-game way to toggle the size of the text font. That's a function of the display resolution you play at. You might find playing about with display settings will give you larger text. I do recall a whole thread discussing this issue. Ah here we go - might help: http://community.battlefront.com/topic/116749-request-for-old-guys/?hl=%2Btext+%2Bsize Have a fun! Cheery! George Mc

Thanks for the kind words guys. Starting to dig deeper into the background of this action and it makes interesting reading. The more you dig the more questions it poses. I've also done some very quick playtesting (no AI plan - just basic OOB and seeing how units on the map interact. 'As is' it's immediately apparent that a/ Carius and Kerscher were really, really lucky; b/ the Stug unit that had made earlier contact with the same Russian vanguard appears to have relaunched it's attack (according to sources) at about the same time or when they knew Carius was attacking. This small group of Stugs (who lost seven of their number earlier in the day trying to breakthrough to their lines at Malinova) create a diversionary attack. This causes many of the Russian tanks to be orientated to the NE. Carius supported by Nienstedt is attacking from around the SE. In game this makes a massive difference to how it plays out. c/ the Russian crews can't have all been in their tanks - some or a few must have been outside or in the village 'taking it easy'. Anyway a few more screenshots from some rough and ready playthroughs. Soviet IS-2 covering one of the approaches to the village. In the background you can see a Tiger (from Nienstedt's support group) moving in. This IS-2 had been abandoned by the crew after taking multiple hits. Stug's eye view of Malinova. Carius does not mention this unit taking part in the action (apart from making contact with one of their officers on the road). However the 502 AAR report (in Carius' book) and a German journalist's account (a certain irony here - for once the propaganda was likely more on the money!). One Russian AAR states: "At 12.00 from the region of Malinovo the enemy opened organized fire of tanks and SP-guns. The regiment taking cover in terrain folds started a firefight with the enemy. Enemy aircraft actively operated in the air..."

Thanks Nidan

Yeah the map is around 2.9 x 3.4km. Thanks for the playtest offer - I'll keep that in mind. Most likely be the end of the month at earliest as I'm off to the Pyrenees mountain biking soon

No you'll have other Tigers from Carius' 2nd Company - I haven't got around to verifying the exact number of runners, although one report states 17 Tigers i.e. a full strength company I'm not convinced they'd have all of them running maybe more like 6-8 runners. Still we'll check this with a variety of sources. Suffice to say you'll have more than two!

About the Scenario This scenario recreates one of Lt. Otto Carius' engagements made famous in his book 'Tigers in the Mud' on page 166 'The Ambush'. The scenario map size is around 2.9km x 3.4km. Both sides have around a company+. You have around 01hr 40 Minutes (+0-15 minutes variable time). However it’s unlikely, playing against the AI that you’ll need all this time, although playing H2H it might be useful. Playing the ScenarioThis scenario was originally designed to be played first and foremost from the perspective of the German side against the Soviet AI. It is playable head to head (H2H) but has not been playtested for balance in this regard. I suspect it’ll be a tough one for the German player – so if playing H2H let the less experienced player take the Soviets. It is also playable Soviet Vs German AI - given the tactical situation and the game engine limitations of the AI - the German AI struggles with the situation. Still if you want to blow up Hitlerite Bandit Tigers – knock yersel out! AI PlansThere are three distinct Soviet AI plans and one German AI plan – thus allowing some level of re-playability. Those who want the true historical ‘feel’ then play Soviet AI Plan 1. It is the closest to how the Soviets reacted in the actual action. To access AI Plan 1, open this scenario in the editor and ‘switch off’ whatever other Red AI Plans you don’t want to play. It won’t affect FOW unless you take a peek at the other info. About the Action On the 22nd July 1944 Tigers of 2 Company (under the temporary command of Lt. Carius) from schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 ambushed the spearhead of the Soviet 5th Tank Corps, the tip of 4th Shock Army’s spear, which had just cleanly broken through Army Group North’s defences. What is arguably unique about this action was the initial bold attack made by Carius and Kerscher into the village which was occupied by T34s from 41st Tank Brigade, made destroying a number of them. Subsequent debate focuses on the exact kill tally - claimed by Carius in his book - in and around the village, the subsequent 'ambush' of the remainder of the Soviet tank unit some km east, and the part played by a nearby German Stug battery or batteries. The debate around the facts of this event I'll set aside for now but if you are interested there is a Historical Action PDF contained in the zip file that outlines the facts behind the engagement and subsequent research and opinion. To Play You can grab it from the repository or the Scenario Depot in a zip file (which contains the scenario game file, historical action PDF with sources and a master tactical map to help orientate yourself). As always I'd appreciate any feedback etc. If you can post any comments etc in this thread that would be hugely appreciated ta! Enjoy! The Battlefield You can find the real world place (Malinova or Malinovka) in Google earth at the kmz file attached below. This image shows the view looking west towards the village of Malinova/Malinovka. In Carius' account Kerscher's and Carius' Tigers engaged twenty Soviet tanks (T34s and IS-2s). They quickly destroyed 2 T-34's and one IS-2, (according to Carius' memoirs). Some remaining tanks were destroyed in the village, others were forced out into the field to the southeast of the road (foreground as you see in the above image above). As the attack was taking place, Carius and Kerscher were joined by Nienstedt as well as some assault guns coming from the north. Most Russian tanks were destroyed, but a few did escape. Close up view of part of the village of Malinova/Malinovka. Carius and Kerscher charge into the village to engage the waiting Soviet armour. Carius at Malinava Historical Background.pdf

It's never been this way. You can get em to embark onto a paused vehicle (assuming you let the vehicle sit idle for long enough for the guys to hop on), but it's never been the other way round. Since CMSF. In fact there is a whole thread on how best to get your guys to dismount. BTW assuming you are playing turn based it has to be at the end of a movement order, not a paused one at that e.g. plot vehicle waypoint to destination i.e. where you want your guys to hop out. If you don't want it sitting about for the whole turn after the guys dismount then pause the vehicle at the start so it arrives at it's destination just at the end of the turn, and with enough time your guys start hopping out.

Discussion about pros and cons of SSDs http://community.battlefront.com/topic/112739-how-good-is-gtx-770-for-this-game/page-2?hl=%2Bcombat+%2Bmission+%2Bssds#entry1495008 FWIw I have CM on a SSD and my gut feeling is loading times are quicker.

Yes

AI controlled air strikes do happen - accurately. Key thing is not having any 'friendlies' i.e. AI units close to the attack points. The air asset generally goes after high value targets first. Friendly fire does happen - just, despite my observations. it's not all that common. To reduce any friendly fire by air assets (either side) just ensure any friendlies are away from the plotted zone - or at least away from any enemy units; ensure an air controller has eyes on. I managed this in Rolling Thunder (where both sides use air) and I've yet to see a blue on blue from air assets in that. Trick is don't have air assets as part of your AI attack plan. Have em come in latter and let the AI air controller do his job. What you are seeing (whole map lit up) is when you include air support as part of the AI fir support plan.

Yup the AI when it calls in air assets does seem to designate a large target plot area. So depending on how 'large' your 'large' map is means you might have a target plot that encompasses any 'friendlies'. Play the map in scenario author mode and click on the unit calling in the air asset. You'll see the highlighted target plot.

What's the size of map? Player ordered attack or AI controlled? I've seen it happen on small maps where the air controller does not have 'eyes on' the target or loses 'eyes on' - both US, UKR and RUS air assets have shot up my troops after I called in strikes. Other reasons were: Usually because they were a/ units too close to plotted strike b/ forgot I'd planned a strike on that spot only to find my guys in that spot when the air attack came in (lost two M1s and BIFV)

Pre triggers the designer had to anticipate what the player may or may not do and in what timescale. Challenging but not impossible. The stuff I've done pre-triggers I would say works fine against the AI. AI Plans took a while to test to ensure that they could cope with what a player may or may not do. Triggers make that process far granular and less down to the designer having to anticipate a players possible actions. Personally I've no desire to go back and redo the AI plans on something like eleven scenarios. In my opinion they work fine against the AI as they are. The feedback on them from players confirms this. Try Huzzar, Wittmann's Demise, Wittmann's Swords at Villers Bocage, Carbide Carbide, First Clash to name a few (Note all these can be played either side Vs AI).

The map already exists - I think Bil has made one. Search the forum I think it might come up.

Hi Wiggum Thanks for your comment - see spoiler below.

TBH John I can't say with regard TCP but PBEM has been in all the CMX2 series games. As far as I am aware PBEM at least has been in the demos. Be easy enough to check guess - just go and look up the demo release notes for each one on the BFC website?

Thanks for the update Takoda. Glad you are enjoying it. It was designed (hopefully) so that lot's of stuff happens whilst keeping the concept and scale realistic. Good luck with your attack

No worries Takoda. For anyone else looking for the version of Rolling Thunder that works with the current version of the game you download from dropbox at the following LINK

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=334&Itemid=576